In his book, Disciple, Juan...
Illustration
In his book, Disciple, Juan Carlos Ortiz describes the cost of becoming a Christian. He envisions a scene where we are trying to buy a beautiful pearl:
So we say, "I want this pearl. How much is it?"
"Everything you have," says the seller.
We make up our minds. "All right, I'll buy it," we say.
"Well, what do you have?" he wants to know. "Let's write it down."
"Well, I have $10,000 in the bank."
"Good -- $10,000. What else?"
"That's all. That's all I have."
"Nothing more?"
"Well, I have a few dollars here in my pocket."
"How much?"
We start digging. "Well, let's see ... $120."
"That's fine. What else do you have?"
"Well, nothing. That's all."
"Where do you live?" He's still probing.
"In my house. Yes, I have a house."
"The house, too, then." He writes that down.
"You mean I have to live in my camper?"
"You have a camper? That too. What else?"
"I'll have to sleep in my car!"
"You have a car?"
"Two of them."
"Both become mine, both cars. What else?"
"I have nothing left! I am alone now."
Suddenly the seller exclaims, "Oh, I almost forgot! You yourself, too!"
But then the seller adds, "I will allow you to use all these things for the time being. But don't forget that they are mine, just as you are. And whenever I need any of them you must give them up, because I am now the owner."
So we say, "I want this pearl. How much is it?"
"Everything you have," says the seller.
We make up our minds. "All right, I'll buy it," we say.
"Well, what do you have?" he wants to know. "Let's write it down."
"Well, I have $10,000 in the bank."
"Good -- $10,000. What else?"
"That's all. That's all I have."
"Nothing more?"
"Well, I have a few dollars here in my pocket."
"How much?"
We start digging. "Well, let's see ... $120."
"That's fine. What else do you have?"
"Well, nothing. That's all."
"Where do you live?" He's still probing.
"In my house. Yes, I have a house."
"The house, too, then." He writes that down.
"You mean I have to live in my camper?"
"You have a camper? That too. What else?"
"I'll have to sleep in my car!"
"You have a car?"
"Two of them."
"Both become mine, both cars. What else?"
"I have nothing left! I am alone now."
Suddenly the seller exclaims, "Oh, I almost forgot! You yourself, too!"
But then the seller adds, "I will allow you to use all these things for the time being. But don't forget that they are mine, just as you are. And whenever I need any of them you must give them up, because I am now the owner."
